Composite foil sheet.



J. PETERSON.

COMPOSITE FOIL SHEET.

APPLICATION FAILED APR. 11. 1913.

Patented Ap1-.27,19 15.

atto/anew UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JONATHAN PETERSON, 0F BROOKLYN', NEW YORK.

COMPOSITE FOIL SHEET.

To all 'wh-om it may concern:

Be it known that I, JONATHAN PETERSON, a citizen of the United States, residin at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and tate of New York, have invented new and useful Im rovements in Composite Foil' Sheets, of whlch the following is a specification. My present invention relates to a new and improved flexible metallized or composite foil sheet, said sheet being especially adapted for use in the manufacture of wrappers, bags, envelo s, packages or other containers for various liinds of merchandise and more particularly for manufactured products, such for instance as chewing and smoking tobacco, snuff and the like, which products are affected more or less by atmospheric changes or conditions when exposed thereto.

It is well understood that tobacco products of all kinds are at their best, or are in a better condition for use when they contain a certain amount of moisture, (the degree of moisture depending somewhat upon the articular character of the product) and it is also well known that when exposed to the atmosphere such products soon dry out, lose their avor and aroma and otherwise deteriorate, -or absorb an undesirable quantity of moisture, and recognizing this peculiarity in the products named, tobacco manufacturers generally, with comparativelyfew exceptions, have adopted tins as the contain- -ers for their products with a view to keeping the product in the best possible condition for use and for as long a time as possible. These tins now-so universally found upon the market are made in various styles, shapes, and sizes and while they have proven to be serviceable for the purpose, their use has been more a matter of necessity or compulsion than of choice or favor because of the absence of a satisfactory known substitute.'

These tins while serviceable, are not entirely satisfactory or profitable of use, because of their great costas compared to the selling price of the commodity they generally conf tain, and furthermore because theyare too bulky and stiff to be conveniently and comgether with one method of making the same,

fortably carried in the pocket of the user of the contained commodity, 1t being understood, that to a very large extent,.these Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 27, 1915'.

Application filed April 11, 1913. Seril No. 760,368.

The object of the present invention is to provide an entirely new and improved metallized or composite foil sheet admirably adapted for use in the manufacture of wrappers, bags, envelops, packages or other conf and the layers or sheets will not separate or peel.

Brieliy and generally stated my improved metallized or composite foil-sheet comprises a relatively thin sheet of tin-foil having a backing of thin paper or other suitable fibrous material that is soft in texture, but having great tensile strength, the said foil and lpaper or other sheets being facially joined together throughout their contacting surfaces, by means of an interposed compounded ilm of rubber applied in a fluid or semi-fluid state to one or both of the sheets and the whole then subjected to pressure and heat, either simultaneously or successively applied so as to vulcanize the said interposed compounded rubber lm and thus bring Aabout an intimate union of the superposed sheets. The resultant composite metallized or foil sheet will be found to possess, among others, the following physical characteristics, which clearly distinguish it from other composite sheets, to wit: exibility, softness, tensile strength, durability, inseparability of its composite layers, and impermeability to either air or water, all of which characteristics are of prime importance in a sheet adapted for the purposes for which the present sheet is intended.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to understand, manufacture, and use my said improved composite sheet, I will now proceed to describe the same in detail, to-

andfor this purpose reference is made to the accompanying drawing whereintins are made in so called pocket sizes. f Figure 1 isaI perspective view, on a somewhat enlarged or exaggerated scale, in so far as thickness is concerned, of a composite foil sheet made according to the present invention, the foil sheet and its backing being separated from one another at one end of the view to more clearly illustrate the construction. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 Fig. 3 is a plan View of one form of package wrapper or .blank made from the composite sheet, and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of one construction of means for carrying out the process of manufacture of the composite sheet of the present invention.

Referring4 to the drawing, and more particularly to Figs'. 1 and 2 thereof, the reference letter a designates a sheet of tin foil; b, the backing therefor and c, the interposed film of compounded rubber employed to unite the foil sheet a and its backing b.

The foil sheet is preferably tin and is very thin. As is well understood tin-foil in the form of thin sheets lacks stability and is devoid of tensile strength. It tears, wrinkles, or creases and breaks very easily and for these reasons is practically uselessv as a wrapper or container unless backed or supported by means of some other material. v

I am aware than tin-foil and paper as well as tin-foil and fabric have been com` bined in different ways to form a composite sheet, and that in some instances such sheets have been used as liners for boxes or containers containing certain manufactured products, but so far as I am aware none of these known forms of foil-sheets have been used or found practicable for use as an original or outside wrapper or container, for the reason that they lack the necessary physical characteristics, namely, flexibility, durability, impermeability, and tensile strength, to fit them for such use, and it is these characteristics that distinguish my improved composite, metallized or foil sheet from the other forms of such sheets herein referred to. v

According to the present invention the foil sheet a, is backed or supported by means of a backing b, consisting of a thin sheet of soft, eXible, fibrous material having great tensile strength, and by preference I employ for this purpose a tissue sheet of longbered rope paper comparatively soft in texture, vbut having great tensile strength, and the contacting surface of which is preferably unglazed or uncalendered.

The tin-foil sheet a and its backing b, are united together face to face by means of a yieldable medium consisting of a thin film of rubber compound, c, that is applied to either the backing b, or the foil sheet a, or both, the

, said compound being lightly or thinly applied over the entire surface of the sheet or sheets, in a fluid or semi-flu1d state, and

madeof pure` 'of known construction.

. backing, together with the interposed rubber-film serving to give the necessary stability to the otherwise frail and unstable foil sheet. The interposed film of rubber compound being in. itself soft and flexible does not in any way stiien the resultant composite sheet, but to the contrary it has a tendency to lend further softness and ilexibility to the iinished product, and since the film is applied in a liuid or semi-fluid state,

the compound enters the pores or interstices of the somewhat porous or fibrous backing sheet and effects a firmer union between the parts. Furthermore since the film of rubber compound has a great aillnity for tinfoil the resulting cohesion between the several sheets will render them practically inseparable when once united, thus preventing peeling or llaking of the foil sheet from its backing, which is a most serious objection present in other composite foil sheets The rubber compound also seems to take care of the unequal expansion and contraction of the foil and backing sheets respectively, which expansion and contraction takes place during atmospheric changes, and also permits of the composite sheet being bent or folded without breaking through.

The packing sheet for the foil is as stated preferably formed of paper, that is it should be of a relatively inelastic and nonextensible material. By reason of this nonextensibility it relieves the foil of all tensile strains, and being attached as it is throughout substantially the entire area, it also very eifectually distributes any slight strain to which the foil might otherwise be subjected. The connecting coating which I employ is, as stated, preferably of a rubber compound, that is a compound having adhesive properties and at the same time impervious to moisture, and also elastic. On account'of the elastic natureof the coating the compound sheet can be more readily bent around a corner without cracking the foil. This foil is, of course, very frail, but unless badly cracked is substantially impermeable to air.

In Fig. 3, I have illustrated one form of blank or wrapper made from a metallized or composite foil-sheet constructed according to the present invention, the said blank or very thin and flexible, so

wrapper being of special construction and particularly adapted for making bags or packages wherein the overlapplng and cemented or joined portions of the blank or wrapper are arranged foil to foil, one form of such package 'being illustrated and described in my copending application for patent Serial No. 760,367, filed April 11, 1913. In the said Fig. 3, the reference letter a designates the tin-foil sheet and b', the backing, the latter being of less width than the wldth of the foil-sheet so as to leave projecting unbacked foil portions along opposite longitudinal edges of the blank and whichunbacked portions are overlapped and Joined together in the finished package or bag. 1n order to make an air and moisture proofJoint.

In Fig. 4, I have illustrated in a somewhat conventional way, one form of apparatus for carrying out the process of manufacture of my improved metallized or composite foil-sheet, but it is to be understood that this showing is merely illustrative and not in any way restictive, and that I may employ any form or construction of apparatus sulted to the purpose. In said Fig. 4, the reference numeral 5 designates a roll of the backing material which may be fed forward by feed rollers 6 and 7, the latter of which is by preference a composition roller, that rotates in facial contact with an applying roller 8, rotating in a tank 9, containing the liquid or semi-liquid rubber compound. As the web b of the backing material is fed forward by the rolls 6 and 7, one face thereof has a coating of the rubber compound applied thereto by means of the roller 7. This compound being maintained in a fluid or semi-fluid state by means of a suitable hydrocarbon solvent such as naphtha, benzene, or the like and as it is necessary that this solvent shall evaporate in order that the compound will become sifliciently tacky, or sticky to effect a proper union with the foil sheet, I pass a considerable length of the coated backing b, about suitably spaced or separated supporting rollers 10, so as to expose the compound to the atmosphere before it is brought into contact with the foil sheet. The foil sheet a, may be in roll form as in dicated at 12, and the two sheets a and b, are then brought together between pressure rolls 13, which firmly unite them to form the composite sheet which is then passed through a heating chamber 14, where the rubber compound is vulcanized and anintimate union of the sheets brought about. The finished composite sheet may then be wound in roll form as shown at 15, or the sheet may be cut into blank lengths as desired. Obviously, by duplicating the applying, feeding, and guiding or supporting rollers and tank shown at the left hand side of Fig. 4, and substituting the same for" the foil roll 12, the rubber compound may be ap- -plied* to both the foil sheet a, and the backprocess forms the subject matter of a sepa rate application filed by me on the third day of August 1914, Serial No. 854,778.

1. As a new product of manufacture, a thin, flexible composite sheet especially adapted for forming packages or containers consisting of two superposed sheets, one of said sheets consisting of frail metal foil, the other of said sheets consisting of a thin, flexible and substantially non extensible backing sheet resisting extension and rupture of said foil sheet under the action of a tensile force, and a connecting coating of a permanently resilient substance on at least one of said sheets connecting said foil to said backing sheet throughout the entire area of one of said sheets, the said composite sheet having the properties of pliability and impermeability to air and moisture.

2. As a new product of manufacture, a thin, fiexible composite sheet especially adapted for forming packages or containers, consistingof two superposed sheets, one of said sheets consisting of a frail metal foil, the other of said sheets consisting of'a thin, flexible paper strip constituting a backing for said frail foil sheet and resisting eXtension and rupture thereof under the action of tensile strains, and a connecting coating of rubber compound on at least one of said sheets, connecting said foil sheet to said backing sheet throughout the entire area of one of said sheets, said rubber compound resiliently uniting the said foil and backing sheets.

3. As a new product of manufacture, a thin, fieXible and substantially non-extensible composite web especially adapted for forming blanks to be used in the manufacture of packages, pouches or containers, consisting of two superposed webs, one of frail metal foil and the other of thin flexible paper of less width than the foil web arranged centrally and longitudinally thereof and constituting a backing therefor, and a connecting coating of rubber compound in substantially a dry state on each of said webs facially uniting said foil to said backing throughout the entire area of the latter, my hand in presence of two subscribing witsaid rubber compound resiliently uniting the nesses.

said foil to said backing and providing a.

flexible composite web of foil and paper JONATHAN PETERSON 5 having unbacked foil portions along the op- Witnesses:

posite longitudinal edges thereof. H. LEWIS BROWN,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set L. A. HAMMERSLEYJ 

